


cooling embers

by faded_dragon_flys



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anxious David Jacobs, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentions of Panic Attacks, Minor Sarah Jacobs/Katherine Plumber Pulitzer, Tumblr Prompt, he has severe anxiety, no editing we die like men, part of a holiday gift exchange, what can i say i love it sm, yes i really did just shove the prom in there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:47:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28310385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faded_dragon_flys/pseuds/faded_dragon_flys
Summary: “Hey Davey, you alright?”“…”His silence was answer enough.
Relationships: David Jacobs/Jack Kelly
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35





	cooling embers

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr for @santa-fe-maniac as part of @newsies-secret-santa.  
> The title makes no sense?? I mention fire once and then I'm like 'ah yes, I should make the title related to fire it is god tier idea.'

Jack was, of course, painting when Davey returned to their apartment.

The exhausted high school teacher collapsed on to the couch face down, flinging his bag away from him. Jack looked up sharply. Davey never threw around his belongings like that. Nor did he ever come straight home and not greet Jack.

“Hey Davey, you alright?”

“…”

His silence was answer enough.

“Dave, what’s the matter, huh?”

Jack abandoned his painting and went over to his boyfriend, who remained sprawled on the couch.

“Go away.”

“Davey, you’re worrying me.”

“Leave me alone, Jack.”

David got up abruptly, stalking into their room and slamming the door. Jack sat motionless, for a good few minutes, his brain struggling to comprehend what had just happened. Slowly, he picked up his phone and dialed Sarah.

“Jack? What’s up?”

“It’s Davey. He ain’t doing so well.”

“What’s the matter with Davey?” a voiced chimed in. Katherine.

“Oh hey Kath. It’s just that Davey’s just come home and… _god_ , how do I describe it. He seems angry? Like, in a Not Davey way. The Davey way is to yell about it and pace. He’s not talking to me, Sarah, he hasn’t said a word. I’m worried.”

She was silent for a few moments.

“You know he has anxiety, right?.”

“Yeah.”

“It used to be so much worse than it is now. In high school, he could barely go a week without a panic attack. Occasionally, his anxiety can dial up back to how it was when he was in high school. It was really bad, Jack.”

“Oh _shit_. I didn’t know that.”

“Well, now you do. Don’t leave him alone. He could be danger to himself.”

Jack nodded, before remembering it was a voice call.

“Yeah, yeah I can do that. Thanks Sarah. Bye Kath.”

The girls offered their farewells before hanging up. Jack went to Davey’s door, wondering if he would be more successful this time. He knocked softly, three times.

The rustling on the other side of the door ceased and everything was quiet for a few seconds. Then, the door cracked open and Davey’s tearstained face looked through.

“ _Dave_ …”

Davey shook his head before opening the door wider and falling into Jack’s arms, sobs wracking his body as he clung to Jack’s shirt.

“I-I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Hey now, shh, don’t be sorry. You did nothing wrong. You wanna talk?”

Davey shook his head. Jack breathed out through his nose before guiding Davey to sit on the bed, wrapping an arm around the distraught man.

They sat like that, Jack rubbing circles into Davey’s shoulder as he calmed down, gradually regaining control of his breathing and the tears stopping. He sighed and leaned into Jack’s embrace, closing his eyes.

“You better now?”

Davey nodded.

“Are you ready to talk yet?”

Davey hesitated, before nodding and pulling away.

“So, what happened, huh?”

Davey took a shuddering breath.

“It’s really stupid… but there was a false fire alarm at school, and it was mostly fine at first but then I tried calling you but you weren’t picking up and I started panicking because anxiety, yay, and another teacher had to take care of my class because I was having a goddamn panic attack and I feel like because it was a false alarm and I blew it out of proportion and- yeah. It’s really stupid I should go.”

Davey stood up to leave, fully prepared to bolt from the room.

“Davey, _no_.”

Jack grabbed Davey’s wrist, stopping him in his tracks.

“Come, sit.”

Jack gently sat Davey down next to him, turning so that they were facing each other. Davey avoided his eyes. Jack huffed and lifted Davey’s chin, forcing him to make eye contact.

“It’s not your fault your brain’s like that, ya hear me? And it’s my fault for not having my phone turned on. I know how bad your anxiety can get, Davey. I’m so sorry I didn’t pick up. But nothing is your fault, ok? So stop beating yourself up.”

Davey’s expression was skeptical. Jack could almost sense him preparing to argue.

“No, don’t even start. Don’t argue with me. It’s just the anxiety talking, you hear me?”

Davey looked away and opened his mouth.

“B-but…”

Jack took a good look at Davey. Registering the dark shadows under his red eyes and his trembling hands, he pulled him into a hug.

“We’ll continue talking about this tomorrow, okay, love? You look really tired. How do you feel about ordering pizza for dinner?”

Davey buried his face in Jack’s shoulder and nodded.

“Yeah… that sounds good.”

Jack went out to the kitchen, calling to order the pizza. Davey followed, promptly curling up on the corner of their couch. He closed his eyes briefly.

 _A little sleep won’t hurt_ , he thought.

When Jack finished the call and went back to the living room, he was greeted by the sight of a sleeping Davey. He smiled slightly, tucking his phone away and gently placing a blanket over his boyfriend’s sleeping figure. He kissed his forehead before settling down on the other side of the couch, bringing up Netflix. 

He spotted a new Netflix original that looked interesting. ‘The Prom’, it was called. He shrugged and played it, waiting for the pizza to arrive.

When the doorbell finally rang, Davey opened his eyes blearily.

“Pizza?”

Jack laughed.

“Yeah, pizza.”

He paused the movie and got up, paying the delivery man and bringing the pizza to the coffee table.

“Pepperoni. Your favourite.”

“Thanks Jack.”

Davey sat up, wrapping the blanket around his shoulders. He took a slice and sank back into the couch, eyes fixed on the screen.

“How’re you feeling now?”

Davey smiled a little, looking up at Jack.

“A lot better now. Thank you.”

Jack smiled back.

“Anytime.”

Jack shifted over, slinging his arm around Davey, who smiled and nestled into Jack’s side. He twisted up and kissed Jack, before settling back down.

“Love you Jack.”

Jack leaned down and kissed Davey again.

“Love you too Dave.”

**Author's Note:**

> Coherent plot and smooth story flow who?  
> :3


End file.
